Some Things Take Time – An Exhibition by the Teachers of the Free Art School in Pietarsaari

A vibrant, stirring, humorous, and beautiful exhibition takes over a former bank hall for the darkest months of the year. The show features drawing, painting, textile art, and video works by 19 prominent Finnish artists—all of whom share a dedication to teaching: passing on knowledge and skills related to materials, techniques, colour, and the practice of art. The exhibition is curated by MA Inna Schwanck.

In a time when manual creation is under pressure from constantly evolving technologies and ever-learning artificial intelligence—and as looking has become increasingly one-dimensional, experience-driven, and inward-turning—slowness has become a rarity. Taking time to pause, to accept complexity, has become radical.

Taking—and giving—time is often a prerequisite for the emergence of something new: ideas, insights, and felt experiences. In the former customer hall of a bank branch in central Pietarsaari, small artistic worlds unfold. The atmosphere shifts from room to room, but throughout flows a narrative of artistic practice, handcrafted work, and quiet presence. The soft, forgiving light of the winter months invites the viewer to immerse themselves in these worlds, to look with openness and curiosity.

Time shimmers through each artwork as a visible layer, regardless of medium. The artist’s touch—a physical gesture, a brushstroke, or a hand-stitched seam—is woven into the very fabric of the works.

This rich exhibition invites lingering. The works ask to be experienced and encountered slowly—in a space where looking is not to be rushed. In sharing space with an artwork, one may discover new ways of sensing and being. Some things take time.

Some Things Take Time – An Exhibition by the Teachers of the Free Art School
November 21, 2024 – January 31, 2025
Campus Allegro
Kauppiaankatu 10, 68600 Pietarsaari

Opening hours
Mon–Fri 10 AM–4 PM
Sat 12 PM–4 PM

The exhibition is organised by the Free Art School, Jakobstads Konsertsal AB, and Yrkeshögskolan Novia. The opening event is part of the Rusk Chamber Music Festival programme. The exhibition is supported by Konstsamfundet, Svenska Kulturfonden, and the City of Pietarsaari.

Founded in 1935, the Free Art School is a private institution dedicated to painting, located in Helsinki’s Cable Factory. As the only art school in Finland solely focused on painting, all of its teachers are professional artists. The Free Art School offers a full-time, four-year programme leading to a career in painting. It also organises open drawing courses, public lectures, exhibitions, and publications.

Contacts:
Inna Schwanck, Curator
+358 44 255 7269, inna.schwanck@gmail.com

Elina Merenmies, Principal, Free Art School
+358 40 1655 609, elina.merenmies@vapaataidekoulu.fi

Marika Holm, Lecturer in Visual Art, Yrkeshögskolan Novia
+358 50 464 5663, marika.holm@novia.fi

Press images & artist contacts:
Meri Karppanen, Administrative Director, Free Art School
+358 40 922 3171, meri.karppanen@vapaataidekoulu.fi